News from Mathnasium of High Point

Summer

Apr 9, 2018

Math might not be as fun as art or sports, or as cool as robotics and science, but it’s still pretty awesome!

Students need to stop thinking of math as something that they will only use in the classroom. Math is used everywhere in life, from sports stats to cooking, construction, landscaping, nursing, driving, and more.

Math literacy is essential, and there are endless practical ways that kids can apply math to everyday life. The trick is getting them to realize and appreciate that!

So, as school lets out for the Summer, should I give my kids a break?

This is the #1 question parents ask every spring.

The answer is: That depends...

Have you heard of the “Summer Slide” or “Summer Learning Loss”? A Johns Hopkins study reveals that most kids lose 2-3 months of critical thinking skills over the summer. While this Summer Learning Loss has been shown to affect all areas, math skills are the hardest hit. This might not come as a surprise, since math is a tough subject for students and parents alike. Also, students typically don’t get the repetition needed to really master and retain the skills being covered in class. So, any break from math will degrade their learning progress.

While many kids are looking to catch up over the summer, there are also those advanced students who are wanting to push forward and get ahead. With over 95% of the highest paying jobs straight out of college being in STEM fields, competition for college entry and scholarships is more competitive than it has ever been. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. While these four fields are very different, they all derive their basic foundations from Math.

Did you know:

40% of parents feel their child has difficulty with math, or at best, is just getting by

One-in-three parents are unable to help their teens with high school math

Students can lose up to 2.6 months of math skills over the summer

The first 6 weeks of the fall semester are spent re-learning old material to try to make up for Summer Learning Loss

It can take up to 2 months from the 1st day of school for a student’s brain development to get back on track

By the end of grade 6, students who have experienced Summer Learning Loss over the years are an average of 2 years behind state standards!